Your reading a pre 2010-11 archived article
In the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king (how little we understand how true that is in life these days). In football terms those clubs that have their act together, on the pitch, off the pitch, financially and media wise are so rare they shine like beacons (http://clarkeonenil.co.uk/football-through-a-hardened-glare/praising-the-also-ran). That leaves a cess-pit of idiocy and delusion of various varieties. The high profile disasters of Newcastle United, Leeds United, Darlington etc are out there and whilst they should provide lessons for the rest of football it’s clear they are just the starter to a main course of chaos to come. The 6 clubs chosen represent my prediction for grabbing the headlines and keeping the Football League busy handing out point’s deductions or even expulsions (and it will come one day soon).
Cardiff City.
Brand new stadium, local optimism on competing for promotion, what is Cardiff doing in this list? Because it’s all built on shifting sand. David Jones took the team higher than the quality of the squad and the depth deserved last season. The better players have been sold or want to go, the new signings look gambles. All this within the context of a continuing row over ownership, debts and liabilities, all run through the well-known reliable overseer of meltdown, Mr Peter Ridsdale. The first sign of issues to come will be when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and home games fail to sell out. Come January and the emergency fire-sales will start. Any Premier League ambitions will look bizarre as Swansea put in a better challenge!
Crystal Palace.
Whilst chemistry isn’t my strong point I’m sure I remember when you mix two combustible substances you inevitably get a reaction. Simon Jordan and Neil Warnock always looked a dangerous combination, now made even more toxic by Warnock on retirement watch and Jordan looking to disinvest at some point. “Colin’s” tendency to go for older workaday players on relatively expensive last contracts, the need to sell the quality kids to stem losses and the continuing issue of who owns Selhurst Park all fuses to point towards a real struggle. Good tip for relegation in my book.
Carlisle.
If it wasn’t for Leeds United this club would have the most interesting history of the last 15 years, including last kick drama and ownership idiocy galore. Presently reflecting on how it avoided relegation last season, the decent players like Danny Graham have flown and the play-offs of 2007-08 are but a distant memory. The manager, Mr Greg Abbott seems to have been involved in more intrigue around the job over the last 3 years and is yet to show an ounce of ability. With Gretna only single figures in miles up the road the spectre of isolated failure looms large over the city. Would not be surprised to see them at the same level as Barrow within a few years, the only question could be which Conference division.
Tranmere Rovers.
When a club finds itself for sale on Ebay and it isn’t a stunt by one of their rival’s fans you know it’s in trouble. Turns out the club has been touted around the USA by agents to be sold since January. This would explain replacing a decent lower league manager, Ronnie Moore, with a “big-name” with a dodgy managerial record, John Barnes. Having just missed out on the play-offs last season by the narrowest margins the smell of decline on the field is almost palpable already, with the inevitable expensive pay-off of said big player burning another hole in the clubs dodgy finances. This season’s Stockport County.
Accrington Stanley.
So to clarify the summer, the mainstay of the administrative side runs off to that bastion of integrity Chester City, the Inland Revenue have enforced a deal by which all of their gates receipts will go on back tax, ex players are banned for match betting, present players are part of Steve Gerrard’s assault squad and the only piece of continuity is the manager who starts his eleventh season in front of a support incapable of going over 1600. Meanwhile local rivals taste the PL. Small town club that may already have over-reached (although no bad thing if it could be sustained). Stick on for administration and relegation in my book.
Port Vale.
This one is a banker. A chairman who can’t give the club away, a new manager who already questions the players desire, no money for transfers, no decent players to sell to raise any, declining crowds even with massive offers on season tickets, local PL rivals undermining any future potential support and lifelong fans talking openly about the club disappearing, all points to a make or break season (or more accurately a don’t break or break season). Which Mickey Adams has turned up will decide whether they go down after the -10 points they are going to pick up when administration strikes. Put a spare fiver on them being the first professional club to fail to fulfil their fixtures in many a year, outside shot but great value (especially when you consider how the entered the FL in the first place). Sad times for its loyal support.
Non of the above happening would cause me glee (ok maybe the Cardiff one would), it is all sad stuff. One thing for sure an extensive shuffle has been on the cards, caused by financial idiocy, for years. It would be a shame however if its the FL clubs who take a bigger hit than the PL ones given the extent to which the PL is responsible for the state of FL longevity.
August 09.
